THIS is the moment a plush £200,000 Porsche burst into flames in the middle of a busy street.
The silver electric vehicle was seen ablaze at a crossroad packed with rush-hour commuters in Chongqing, southwestern China.
Firefighters were seen frantically dousing the motor, believed to be an electric Porsche Taycan, as stunned drivers watched on.
Eyewitnesses reported suddenly hearing a loud noise before they spotted the thick smoke billowing from the street.
Footage of the dramatic incident on Sunday shows flames shooting out from the car's bonnet right up to its bumper.
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The blaze even appeared to spread to the rear wheels, before the inferno gathered pace and transformed the Porsche into a fireball.
It appeared to explode on the street as people rushed to work in one of Western China's most important economic hubs.
Frustrated motorists trapped at the intersection were heard honking their horns as the street came to a standstill.
Other impatient drivers who were bold enough to brave the danger were seen swerving around the burning EV.
Emergency services blasted the Porsche with hoses to extinguish the fire that continued to scorch the costly vehicle.
It took them around 20 minutes to snuff out the car blaze.
Luckily, the owner of the pricey Porsche made it out unscathed and no other casualties were reported.
A preliminary investigation revealed that the blaze had been triggered by a short circuit in the electric vehicle's engine.
This generated sparks, which started a fire that quickly spread throughout the motor at the hectic junction before it exploded.
Porsche said they would investigate the incident and verify the damage, which is said to be extensive.
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Electric car fires are notoriously difficult to extinguish as the lithium-ion batteries burn hot and fast - and can potentially reignite.
Earlier this month, Porsche recalled a number of cars in their Taycan range due to a serious battery fault that poses a "fire risk".
A sealant-related issue with the battery was allowing water into it over time, which could eventually lead to the car setting alight.
A Porsche spokesperson said: "The safety of our customers and the quality of our vehicles is our top priority.
"After thorough review, we’ve determined that, in a small number of cases, there is a chance of moisture entering the car’s battery pack.
"If this occurs, the driver will be alerted first via a yellow caution light, followed by a red warning symbol in the car’s display.
"As a result, and through an abundance of caution, we are planning to recall the affected cars, built between September 22nd, 2022 and August 3rd 2023, to test the battery seal."
Most current EV batteries are made using large amounts of lithium.
The light metal element is extremely reactive with water and can produce explosions or fires when the two come into contact.
Two weeks ago, a blaze ripped through five cars in the car park of Sydney Airport after reportedly being started by a faulty battery.
In August, 2700 cars on a cargo ship were melted after a suspected EV fire caused millions in damage.
A Tesla also burst into flames in the middle of London in July.
